Retribution
by Elena Chamberlain
Summary: The people we think we know aren't always what they seem. Sometimes it's better not to learn the ugly truth. AU Senshi/Shitennnou, U/M
1. Prologue

Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined they would come to this.

If anyone could see her now, she didn't doubt they would question her audacity to challenge the most gifted warrior in Elysian. This was neither a game nor one of her covert practice sessions, and there was the likelihood that she would not survive this night. But they had a score to settle, and he was as determined as she was to lay everything to rest, so she banished all trepidation until only one dominating goal remained in her thoughts.

The abysmal and haphazard life she was so unceremoniously thrown into could not make her forget who she was at heart. Not a day passed without her reminiscing better times gone by in a distant land that she had once called home. Tonight, she would have retribution. For her father, for everything that had been lost.

For herself.

Her life now belonged in the hands of Fate. The idea of her probable death didn't frighten her, couldn't debilitate her. Kill, or be killed, that was the rule of survival on the battlefield; she understood it a long time ago.

Her grip on her sword tightened as she regarded her nemesis. He stood about twenty feet away, a single blade held languidly in his hand. His posture was relaxed and collected as he returned her scrutiny with the same detachment. Even now, he continued to be an intriguing man.

It had startled her when he sauntered into their meeting place without any protective armour. Did he believe she was incompetent to meet him in combat because of her sex? Did he think her the submissive woman who wouldn't stand up for herself?

Well, she would show him what she was worth. She never was as fragile as those around her thought. The passing of a vagrant breeze would not extinguish her life like it would a candle flame.

_He_ ought to be seeking her forgiveness. The son of a bitch knew she wasn't someone he could tamper with at will. His ruthless reputation had no effect on her determination to best him. She was prepared for their grand finale, and to be the last one standing. She would fight to her last breath to make him pay for her misery.

He owed it to her. She was simply here to collect her prize. Nothing more, nothing less.

Night winds caressed her skin like a mother's loving touch, as though they were whispering she had an alternative besides the inevitable. Perhaps, in another life, she could hold a discussion with him in peace. Tonight wasn't that night, unfortunately. Planting her feet on the ground, Manon raised her sword, mirroring Kaden's every move. Emotions flickered in his grey-green eyes and disappeared as soon as they had come. She licked her lips in anticipation, her limbs impatient to put her skills to the test.

Take him by surprise, knock away his weapon, a slash across his strong throat, a thrust to his heart, or one to his abdomen, and he would drop like a sack of potatoes at her feet. She could do it. She _had_ to. One quick, simple attack, it would be over and done with.

Then why was she hesitating?


	2. Chapter 1

In the beginning, before the Wheel of Fate altered its course, an ocean separated two countries.

Away from the mainland that made up the Alliance of Serenitas, Magellan was an island country fraught with magic. The Magellan Castle hovered above the Valley of Aphrodite, overlooking the seven rivers that flowed into the surrounding waters. Travellers from foreign lands would brave the high seas to come to admire its splendour. They speculated what enabled the castle to float in the air, but most couldn't reach a plausible answer. If, and when, they were asked, the people of Magellan would offer no more than a smile as reply. Magic kept the castle afloat, and magic was what the outlanders feared, so it was best they never acquired that knowledge.

The lord of Magellan, King Eros, was a direct descendant of the goddess Venus. Like the deity of his namesake, Eros retained his youthful looks many years into his reign. It mattered not to his people the king didn't look a day older than thirty-five. Magellan had expanded its territory and prospered under Eros. For as long as anyone could remember, the country had not seen a war for decades.

But the king knew the peace was not to last.

On his daughter's second birthday, half a year after his wife's untimely passing, Eros' soothsayers foresaw deceit and jealousy would tear Magellan apart prior to the princess' thirteenth summer. Darkness would descend upon the land, and not until she was old enough to sit on the throne would the melancholy cloud disperse.

* * *

The day was too fine to be holed up inside the castle, listening to her tutor drone on about Magellan's dead kings and queens. Having learnt the history of her ancestors by heart at the tender age of six, Mina had decided she would rather be outdoors today. Autumn had descended after a long, scorching summer. The grounds were a vision in crimson and gold and orange.

The sun kissed her skin as she raced across the forest, small feet crunching fallen leaves. Mina kept looking over her shoulder, half expecting her companion to catch speed any time. She ran as fast as her dress allowed, careful not to tangle her legs in the countless layers of frilly undergarments underneath. If she had her say in the matter, the ten-year-old would have donned a silk shirt and breeches and boots for the impromptu outing, but as always, a gown had already been laid out for her when she woke. Wondering for perhaps the thousandth time why she was born a girl, Mina detested her maid for selecting the ankle-length dress. Of all the days, she had to be trapped in such a cumbersome garment when Papa had left for a hunting trip. He wouldn't return until the day after tomorrow, so no one would care how she dressed!

Someone pulled at her ponytail, effectively forcing her to a sudden halt. She uttered an unladylike yelp, stepped on a petticoat, and fell onto her back in a heap of wheat-gold hair and pink silks. The leaves scattered and tumbled around her like rain. Groaning, she brushed a leaf off her face, and glared up at the culprit. His shadow loomed over her and blocked the afternoon sun from blinding her eyes.

"You lost, Mi." Nicholai smiled down at her, his face mere inches away, chocolate brown eyes alight with mirth. Her oldest friend and bodyguard since her first memory, he was her companion every time she ventured beyond the castle perimeter. Remembering he had longsword training today, Mina had lingered outside the galley, then dragged Nicholai away the moment the sword master dismissed his students.

She pouted, nonplussed that she had missed his approach with the ground covered in dried leaves. "How did you manage to sneak up on me like that, Nick?"

His smile widened to a toothy grin. "I was waiting for you to run this way."

"Liar. I know you haven't mastered the art of divination yet," she countered, her brow furrowing into a frown, but one glance at the surrounding trees confirmed he could have hidden behind a trunk.

"We've been friends a long time, Mi. You're more predictable than you think." He observed wryly, and offered his hand to help her stand. A breeze picked up, whipping his chin-length hair to his face. "Rise, princess. It's difficult talking to you like this."

Mina stuck out her tongue at him, her hand slipping into his much larger one. "You pulled at my hair and made me fall!"

"Everything is fair game," Nicholai responded and plucked a leaf from her hair. His hand hovered by the side of her face, close enough that she could feel the heat of his palm. In the next second, the hand lowered, a sigh escaping her friend's mouth. "Shall we go back to the castle, or shall we stay and make proper mischief?"

Nothing could tempt her to return home or to the unrelenting clutches of her tutors unless it was Papa. She had skipped lessons to indulge a breath of fresh air, away from the ever watchful eyes of her maids and the courtiers, and deities knew when an afternoon like this would present itself again. In place of an answer, Mina slipped a foot behind her friend's ankle, a laugh bursting from her lips when Nicholai lost his balance and dropped to his derriere.

"Catch me if you can, Nick." Picking up her skirts, she threw him a wink, and made a beeline for the trees.

Mina manoeuvred her way into the centre of the forest by memory rather than instincts, the sun soon veiled by the dense foliage overhead. Somewhere, birds twittered and took flight, leaving her footfalls the only sound in the otherwise quiet wood. Neither the silence nor the lack of companionship terrified the ten-year-old princess. She sensed the sylphs and the dryads, felt them as her invisible guardians in these parts of the woods.

Slowing her gait to a stroll, she soon departed the forest, a smile blooming on her lips at the breathtaking scenery that greeted her. Autumn leaves of different colours and shapes and sizes carpeted the ground. Mirrored in the lake were the mountains, the trees on the opposite bank, the deep blue sky, and in the midst of it all, her home, the Magellan Caster, floating above the valley.

Mina exhaled a contented sigh. Far removed from the castle proper, the air here tasted sweeter, fresher. She had discovered this sanctuary after Alastair refused to let her ride her pony, a little over four years ago, and Papa hadn't been pleased when she returned home with minor injuries on her hands and knees. Ever since that day, she had dreamt of returning for a second visit, had pined for it.

"There you are!"

She turned to the voice, taking in Nicholai's dishevelled appearance. He resembled the wild man in her nurse's stories with his chestnut curls a frizzy mass framing his gaunt face, mud stains on his white shirt and buff-coloured trousers, minor cuts on his left cheek and hands. Mina fought back her giggles at the thought of Nick brandishing a wooden club to complete the mental image.

"What's so funny?" His scowl was audible. "You could have been hurt on your way here!"

Mina wiped the tears from her eyes. "It would have been worth it for the view."

His eyes narrowed, hands on his hips. "What view?"

She gestured towards the general direction of the lake. "This."

And heard his sharp inhalation at the sight before them.

Proud that her treasure had made him speechless, Mina inclined her head and stared up at Nicholai. "This is gorgeous, isn't it? Don't tell anyone else what I just showed you."

Foreign emotions flitted over his face as brown eyes met blue. Recently, she had noticed something different about him that she couldn't quite place. Her fourteen-year-old friend was now a head taller than her. When had that happened? And his voice was now a rich baritone, a far cry from the child's voice she had known for so long. His body had changed as well. No longer was he the scrawny lad the soldiers used to mock, but a taut and strong young man, coming into his own.

"Deal," he replied, then his arms were wrapped around her and he was swirling her like he had done so countless times ever since he could lift her off her feet. Mina squealed, her hands clutching his shoulders in case he dropped her. Their laughter resounded in the air before Nicholai tripped over a rock and stumbled onto his back, bringing Mina down with him.

Disentangling his arms, she rolled onto her back beside Nicholai, and stared up at the cloudless, autumn sky. She breathed in the scent of nature, savoured their solitude in this part of the kingdom.

Caught in their thoughts, neither spoke for what seemed like an eternity, basking in the comfortable silence.

"Penny for your thoughts, Mi?" Nicholai inquired, his voice soft as if afraid to speak too loud. Above them, eagles circled the sky.

Mina closed her eyes. "Sometimes I want to become a bird and reach for the clouds with my wings. I envy them."

The back of Nicholai's hand brushed hers. "You are a princess. What's there to be jealous of?"

"There is no limit to where the birds can go. They have the freedom to choose wherever they want to be," she explained, one hand idly fingering the fallen leaves. "But I don't. Papa doesn't want me to think of anything else other than be strong for our people. Papa wants me to be like Mom before she died."

He linked his fingers with hers. "King Eros loves you. Don't be silly."

"I know Papa loves me, but-"

Nicholai pushed up to his elbows. "Pensive doesn't become you, Mi." He tugged at her hand and pulled her to a sitting position. "We have a couple more hours at least before sunset. Let's not ruin what's left of your free afternoon by being miserable."

She wrinkled her nose. "You are just being optimistic because you have nothing to worry about."

"Says who? You know my father expects me to enlist with the army. There is a kingdom for me to protect, and then there's you to worry for."

"Why? I don't want your concern," she huffed and crossed her arms, nose in the air.

He ruffled her hair and rose to his feet. "You are a girl, Mi, and the princess. You will always be the kingdom's worry whether you like it or not." He pinched her cheeks. "And knowing what a wild creature you are, you will scare away all you potential suitors before you meet them."

Massaging her abused face, Mina bristled. She swallowed the urge to strangle Nicholai; he had become too tall. "That's a mean thing to say to your princess!"

Nicholai laughed good-naturedly. "I beg your pardon, princess. But know that I will always be by your side even when you don't need me."

She didn't understand what he meant by that, but felt calmed by the softness in his eyes nonetheless. "Is that a promise?"

He bowed and lifted the back of her hand to his forehead. "Only for you, princess."

Mina's cheeks flushed, though she couldn't explain why. Absently, she placed her other hand on Nicholai's head the way she had seen Papa did at court. His hair was very soft; it was like running her fingers through silk. "Hm, thanks?"

They discussed many things under the sky before retracing their path to the castle. Promises of sweet nothings were made, childish beliefs that would elicit a laugh when they recalled their frivolities in their adulthood. They talked of everything and nothing, just two children believing all would be well.


End file.
